Tag Archives: meditation

Audio Premiere: “Shine” – Charity and the JAMband

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San Francisco’s Charity and the JAMband recently released their sixth album for families entitled Earth. As the title would suggest, the album is an ode to Earth, but moreso to the interconnectedness we have with it (and each other), and how our actions have a direct impact on maintaining a sustainable well-being for our planet.

Though this is a concept album, there is a variety of tracks that are also wonderful meditations meant to cultivate lovingkindness, peace, happiness, unity and build awareness of the power we have to effect change together any day of the year.

As part of the celebration honoring the album’s release, I am pleased to present the premiere of the song “Shine.” “Shine” offers a musical meditation built on cultivating feelings of goodwill within ourselves which can then be given to all other living things, and directed back toward the earth. The intention is to shine out everything we’ve got – love, appreciation, peace – toward others, in hopes that our positive energy will carry far and wide. “Shine” also serves as a starting point for discussion with children about themes of kindness, generosity, and responsibility.

Charity Kahn, lead singer and founder explains:

“Shine” is ultimately about what we have to offer to our world. Part of our job in this life is to cultivate positive qualities in ourselves — like peace, joy, and love — and then to reflect these outward, sharing our best selves with others and our planet. And, perhaps most importantly, to remember that suffering is also part of life, and that all beings suffer. When we remember this truth — that we all suffer, and we all wish to be free from suffering — we are then capable of true compassion.

As with all of Charity and the JAMband’s music, “Shine” is delivered in a powerful way with lots of positive energy that simply rocks.

To learn more about the story behind the song, visit Charity and the JAMband’s official site where you can also find activities to share with your children. Kahn will be posting a new song story every day through May 6, 2016 so tune into Facebook and Twitter for updates.

a1506770584_10“Shine” is featured on Charity and the JAMband’s sixth album Earth. More info can be found on the band’s official site and copies of the album can be downloaded/purhcased through Bandcamp, iTunes, CD Baby, Spotify (streaming).

To learn more about Kahn and her mindfulness based practice and offerings check out a guest post previously published here.

 

 

 

Mindful Moments Countdown w/ Kira Willey: Gain focus with a Rainstorm

Posted in Music by

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With the world all abuzz, stillness and focus can be hard for young children. There’s so much to do! So much to play with! As kids grow and enter school, the direction of their attention changes and the need for focus becomes more necessary.

Mornings can be especially tough for kids to zero in on the tasks at hand with the pressure of getting to school on time. For younger children, sitting for five minutes to eat a bite of breakfast can be tricky. I even find this to be true with my 7-year-old daughter. And then there’s later in the day when kids may have a “screen time hangover,” or maybe they’re overtired or just wound up – usually when parents are winding down.

Often I find myself wishing I could stop time for just a few minutes, slow things down. Breathe. So how does one find a brief reprieve?

There is an answer! Kira Willey’s forthcoming album, Mindful Moments for Kids, offers kids (and the parents who love them) 30 quick and easy ways to help sharpen focus, inspire a more centered energy, find some calm, and settle into a peaceful state of being. The actions are presented in a fun way, encouraging kids to participate as though they are playing along with Kira right in the room.

Mindful Moments for Kids releases this Friday, January 15, 2016 and I am so happy to participate with Kira in her #MindfulMomentsCountdown. As a special treat, for Day 3 of the countdown, listeners can download a track from the album (available as a free download for 24 hours from the time this post was published).

Today’s mindful moment is called “Rainstorm,” which leads kids through a simple exercise to create the sounds of a rainstorm (lightning, thunder, wind and rain), using their bodies as instruments. The track calls upon the familiarity and simplicity of nature’s elements and offers kids a whole body and mind experience.

Rub your hands together to make the sound of the wind, it’s really picking up! I feel a few raindrops…tap your finger and thumb together to make the sound of the raindrops coming down. Now it’s really starting to pour!  Hands on your lap, make the sound of the rain pouring down, faster and faster…

“Rainstorm” provides wonderfully tactile and sensory input to get kids in a centered and attentive frame of mind, any time of day. What I love about this track is that kids are tuning into their bodies and the actions are simple enough that kids can bring them along on car rides or onto the playground.

For more mindful moments, follow Kira at her official page or through Facebook.

Click here to grab your free download (good for only 24 hours).